Little bit of Mischief was written by Babs "Overload" as a Databit/Critch story. 

Little 'Bit of Mischief

by Overload / Babs Bunny

      "Okay Databit," Overload addressed the smaller android as she wandered down the hallway towards the ship's transporter, with Databit trotting beside her every step of the way. "I'm not going to be too long, but I need to help gather these mineral samples from Lubdak 7 for Jaydin. Looks like they need some positronic expertise when it comes to analyzing the findings." She grinned a tad self-righteously at this last sentence, and Databit looked up at her and tilted his head.

     "But..I cannot come..?" The pint-sized android asked, his voice tinted slightly with disappointment. Overload reached down and picked him up. "Not this time, little one." she said. "I need to get the job done and over with quickly, and no offense, but not keeping track of you would help speed things along. Dig me?" She stroked Databit's hair.

      "Dig you?" Databit looked a bit confused and scanned his systems, trying to decipher Overload's slang. Finally his yellow eyes lit up. "Ah," he replied at last. "To "dig you". To comprehend, to understand your meaning. to decipher, to empathize. To 'get you". To.." He went on and on, throwing out more euphemisms.

      Overload chuckled as they reached the transporter. "That's enough, fella, you got it!" Databit silenced, looking somewhat proud of himself. "Now, while I'm gone, I've arranged for a little surprise!"

      "You have? A surprise? For me?" Databit wriggled a little in Overload's hands, curiosity creeping into his voice.

      "Yup! For you! DROID!" Overload sang out suddenly. Critch Starblade glowered at her as he skulked towards the transporter. "I have a name, you know." he grumbled. Overload nodded absently. "Of course you do, Droid. Now, you and Databit I'm sure know each other so intros aren't needed. You haven't lost the instructions I gave you, did you?"

      Critch pointed to his head. "It's all up here. He'll be fine." Overload nodded as she handed Databit over to him. "Well, okay." She looked over to the transporter, and to the three other crewmembers who had arrived and were waiting for her to get into place so they could all beam down. She nodded and quickly got into position herself. "Okay Databit, see you later! Thanks Critch!!" The thank you faded out as the crewmembers all beamed out, leaving Critch to stare down at dismay at the tiny charge in his hands who was waving goodbye to his comrade.

     Databit stopped waving and looked shyly up at Critch. Critch glowered down at Databit. "I don't know how she talked me into this." he said, irritated, as he turned and made his way back up the hallway. Databit tilted his head. "I believe she spoke to you, and then you spoke back to her and then an arrangement was made, and then.."

     "I didn't mean literally!!"

      "Ah. Was this more slang?"

     "No. What I meant was..was...oh, nevermind!" Critch shot back. Databit nodded and fell silent. Finally the two reached Critch's quarters and Critch set Databit down on the floor. "There. These are my quarters. There's video games over there. Don't touch those. The bed's over there. Don't touch it. I also have a stereo and much music." Databit tilted his head up at Critch.

"No, you can't touch that either."  Databit sighed.

Critch nodded, looking down at the dejected little android who had decided that the floor was a safe bet and thus was sitting down on it. "You don't look like you're much trouble. You know the rules. How hard can you be to take care of?"

     Critch found himself kicking himself for that last thought about fifteen minutes later as he fished a dirt-streaked Databit out from the soil of an overturned potted plant in Jaydin's quarters and hauled him back to his bathroom for a scrub. "But...I was only doing some mineral research of my own!" Databit explained innocently. "It is fascinating how many minerals are in the soil of a common houseplant. For instance.." Critch cut him off as he stripped and dipped him in his bathroom sink and scrubbed him vigorously, emitting a squawk from Databit. "Oh, "squawk" to you too. Now you listen to me, you little..." he growled for a moment. "Houseplants are NO TOUCH zones!!! Got it? NO TOUCH!!" Databit got it. "Yes sir." Critch sighed as he towelled Databit off and gave him a clean uniform to dress in.

Databit was good to his word, and stayed away from the potted plants. However, the next hour was another story, as the tiny 'droid managed to: cause a power outage on a tenth of the ship; get into Jaydin's latest experiment in sickbay which, when spilled on a small spider, managed to make it grow the size of a footstool; get into a fight with a can opener in the ship's lounge and lost, thus spraying canned gagh worm preserves everywhere; and somehow spill purple fingerpaint all over Critch's dress uniform. Needless to say, Critch nearly jumped for joy as he heard Overload's voice call out for her small charge. Abandoning his efforts to tidy up the CD rack that had been turned over, he snatched up Databit and ran over to catch up to Overload. The girl android cheered at the sight of Databit and grabbed hold of her little pal, giving him a toss into the air and then catching him. "You have returned!" declared Databit, content.

"Of course I have!" Overload grinned and then looked up at Critch, who was watching the reunion with a scowl. "Thanks for looking after him while I was gone! See, that wasn't such a hard task, was it?" She tickled Databit's tummy as she spoke. Critch ground his teeth and seethed.

     "Oh, no." he said sarcastically through clenched teeth. "He was nooo trouble at all! Hey, I even gave him a bath for you. FIVE in fact!!!" He snarled at Databit.

     "Great! Because I did such a good job at finding specimens, that Jaydin wants me to help gather some more tomorrow from the planet Grundal!"

     Critch was aghast at the news. "TOMORROW?!?!?!? WHAT? Again?!! Overload, I--"

     "Please Critch?" Overload looked up at the other android, her green eyes bright and with a soft smile playing on her lips. "Pretty pretty please...?"

     Critch looked from her to Databit and back, on the edge of another protest, and then sighed, nodding in defeat.

      "Okay...tomorrow." he said wearily.

Fin.